Nafisa Shah
Encyclopedia
Dr. Nafisa Shah is a Member of National Assembly
(MNA) from Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP), Chair of the National Commission for Human Development
(NCHD), General Secretary of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus and a member of parliamentary standing committees on Finance, Minorities, Economic Affairs and Statistics. She frequently writes for publications such as The News
and represents Pakistan at international conferences. Her opinions are often solicited on news channels including Dawn TV
, ARY News, Express 24/7
, GEO News
Business Plus
, Samaa TV
, Dunya TV, BBC
, CNN
and others.
Formerly, Dr. Shah was the Nazim (mayor) of Khairpur District
.
to Husn Afroze and Syed Qaim Ali Shah
.
She completed her O-Levels at St Joseph’s Convent School, A-Levels at Karachi Grammar School
and Bachelor of Arts at a German University. After completing her undergraduate studies, Shah worked with Newsline
and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute
Her reporting on environmental problems, development and gender issues won her acclaim at home and abroad. In 1993, Dr. Shah received All-Pakistan Newspaper Society’s Best Article of the Year award and was included on United Nations’ Global Roll of Honour
.
In recognition of her groundbreaking research work, Nafisa Shah was admitted as a Chevening Scholar to the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at Oxford University. After completing her Masters in Social and Cultural Anthropology, Shah enrolled in a doctoral program in anthropology at Oxford University.
Upon returning to Pakistan in 2000 for her field research on Karo Kari (honour killings) in upper Sindh, Dr. Shah was drawn into active politics. She contested Khairpur’s local body elections and won. From then on, she has worked as a committed public representative.
After spending 10 years conducting research, Dr. Shah completed her doctoral thesis on "Honour Violence, Law and Power: A Case Study of Karo Kari in Upper Sindh" at the University of Oxford in 2010. According to news sources, the examiners praised the quality of her thesis and “said that the argument and the data mustered to support the theses were original, persuasive and lucidly and coherently presented” Her book on the topic is under publication.
’s election campaigns along with her siblings. Later, she volunteered with former Prime Minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto
, conducting research for speeches and dealing with policy matters.
Victory during the 2001 local elections for Khairpur’s Nazim (mayor-ship) enabled Dr. Shah to implement her vision for inclusive, community supported development. By launching a successful hepatitis vaccination drive and building several schools, hospitals, museums and recreation centers, Dr. Shah set the benchmark high for her contemporaries and successors. For her remarkable administrative work in an “exclusively male-dominated” playing field, Dr. Shah was nominated for a collective Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 – a rare accomplishment, and a significant first for a Pakistani woman.
Later, she was appointed the chair of Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Development
(NCHD). Discharging her responsibilities, Dr. Shah has built schools, adult literacy centers, vocational training institutes and relief camps for people displaced by floods and internal warfare. Her organization functions as a vital bridge between public and private sectors, enabling Pakistan achieve Millennium Development Goals.
For her public work, decorations and awards have followed by the dozen. Most notably, she was identified as a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum in 2005 and included in Newsweek Pakistan’s “100 Women Who Shake Pakistan” in 2011.
2. Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum, 2005
3. Nobel Peace Prize Nomination, 2005
4. Global Roll of Honor, United Nations, 1993 http://www.global500.org/ViewLaureate.asp?ID=183
5. Best Article, All Pakistan Newspaper Society, 1993 2/
2. Chief guest at First Womens Bank corporate documentary launch, 2010
3. Chief guest at Asia South Pacific Association for Basic Adult Education (ASPBAE) and BUNYAD Foundation's “Gender Equality in Education” report launch, 2011
4. Chief guest at Debate Contest for Allama Iqbal Shield, 2011she is also the daughter of syed Qaim Ali Shah the chief Minister of Sindh.
5. Chief guest at "Women in Leadership and Management in Higher Education”, organized by National University of Science and Technology (NUST)T) in collaboration with Fatima Jinnah Women University
(FJWU) and Association of Commonwealth Universities
(ACU).
6. Chief guest at a workshop on conserving Sindh’s Cultural Heritage organized by Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai University in collaboration with the Endowment Fund Trust, Unesco, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad and the Khairpur district government, 2010.
7. Chief guest at Advanced Diploma Graduation Ceremony, Aga Khan University, 2010
8. Chief guest at Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SOGP) biennial conference, 2009
2. Shah, Nafisa. 2009. “Recruiting Women in Community Oriented Policing” in The News. Print
3. Shah, Nafisa. 2008. “The Politics of being Asif Zardari” in The News. Print.
4. Shah, Nafisa. 2008. A Tribute to Benazir Bhutto. Online
5. Shah, Nafisa. 2007. 'Making of Crime, Custom and Culture: The Case of Karo Kari Killings of Upper Sindh' in Scratching the Surface: Democracy, Traditions and Gender. Heinrich Böll Foundation Lahore:2007. Print.
6. Shah, Nafisa. 2006. 'Commercial Marriages of Girls' in The News. Print: Islamabad
7. Shah, Nafisa. April 1998. A story in black: Karo Kari Killings in upper Sindh", Reuters Foundation
8. Shah, Nafisa. 1998. Blood, tears and lives to live: Women in the cross-fire, a study for Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Book. 100-409-076
9. Shah, Nafisa. 2003. 'Role of the Community in Honour Killings in Sindh' from Engendering the Nation-State. Lahore: Simorgh Publications.
10. Shah, Nafisa. 1998. “War Against Women” in Newsline. Print.
11. Shah, Nafisa. 1998. `Faislo: The Informal Settlement System and Crimes Against Women in Sindh’ in Shaping Women’s Lives: Laws, Practices and Strategies in Pakistan, Farida Shaheed, Sohail. Warraich, Cassandra Balchin, Aisha Gazdar (eds), Lahore: Shirkat Gah
12. Shah, Nafisa. 1994. 'The Circles of Freedom of Women' in Locating the self: perspectives on women. APSR Publications. Print
13. Shah, Nafisa. January 1993. 'Of Female Bondage' in Newsline. Print. Karachi:p.44
14. Shah, Nafisa.1992. 'Media Coverage of Environmental Problems in Pakistan' at Seminar-Workshop on Environmental Policies and Media Reporting." Singapore: 27-31 January 1992.
National Assembly of Pakistan
The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Majlis-e-Shura, which also compromises the President of Pakistan and Senate . The National Assembly and the Senate both convene at Parliament House in Islamabad...
(MNA) from Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
(PPP), Chair of the National Commission for Human Development
National Commission for Human Development
National Commission for Human Development is located in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan is the first country to establish a public-private partnership to mobilize global resources for Human Development following the Monterrey Conference for the International Financing of Development, March 2002...
(NCHD), General Secretary of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus and a member of parliamentary standing committees on Finance, Minorities, Economic Affairs and Statistics. She frequently writes for publications such as The News
The News International
The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...
and represents Pakistan at international conferences. Her opinions are often solicited on news channels including Dawn TV
Dawn (newspaper)
Dawn is Pakistan's oldest and most widely read English-language newspaper. One of the country's two largest English-language dailies, it is the flagship of the Dawn Group of Newspapers, published by Pakistan Herald Publications, which also owns the Herald, a magazine, the evening paper The Star and...
, ARY News, Express 24/7
Express 24/7
Express 24/7 was an English language television news channel based in Pakistan. Its headquarters were located in Lahore, Pakistan. The channel was owned by the Lakson Group which also owns its sister channel Express News and newspaper Daily Express and The Express Tribune...
, GEO News
GEO News
Geo News is a Karachi-based Pakistani news channel, fully owned and operated by Jang Group. The channel started its broadcasting in November 2005 and has millions of Urdu-language viewers around the world.- Popular Shows :...
Business Plus
Business Plus
Business Plus can refer to:* Business Plus , an Irish business magazine published in Dublin* Business Plus , an imprint of Grand Central Publishing...
, Samaa TV
SAMAA TV
SAMAA TV is a Pakistani news network.- Competitors :*Dunya News*Geo News*ARY News*Express News*Indus News*Waqt News- External links :*...
, Dunya TV, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and others.
Formerly, Dr. Shah was the Nazim (mayor) of Khairpur District
Khairpur District
Khairpur District is a district in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The district has an area of 15,910 square kilometres and is headquartered at the city of Khairpur.-Location:...
.
Education and Personal life
Nafisa Shah was born on January 20, 1968 in SukkurSukkur
Sukkur, or Sakharu , formerly Aror and Bakar, is the third largest city of Sindh province, situated on the west bank of Indus River in Pakistan in Sukkur District. However, the word Sakharu in Sindhi means "superior", which the spelling of the city's name in Sindhi suggests is the origin of the...
to Husn Afroze and Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Qaim Ali Shah
Syed Qaim Ali Shah is the current Chief Minister of Sindh, Sindh President of the Pakistan Peoples Party and an elected Member of Provincial Assembly from PS-29...
.
She completed her O-Levels at St Joseph’s Convent School, A-Levels at Karachi Grammar School
Karachi Grammar School
Karachi Grammar School is an independent, highly selective, coeducational, English-medium school in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.Established in 1847 by the Reverend Henry Brereton, the first chaplain of Karachi, as a school for "English and Anglo-Indo children", it is the oldest private school in...
and Bachelor of Arts at a German University. After completing her undergraduate studies, Shah worked with Newsline
Newsline
Newsline may refer to:* Newsline, a daily news and current affairs radio programme and podcast produced by Radio Netherlands* BBC Newsline, a television newscast produced by BBC Northern Ireland...
and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute
Sustainable Development Policy Institute
The Sustainable Development Policy Institute provides the global sustainable development community with representation from Pakistan as well as South Asia as a whole. The Institute's mission is: "To catalyse the transition towards sustainable development, defined as the enhancement of peace,...
Her reporting on environmental problems, development and gender issues won her acclaim at home and abroad. In 1993, Dr. Shah received All-Pakistan Newspaper Society’s Best Article of the Year award and was included on United Nations’ Global Roll of Honour
Global 500 Roll of Honour
The United Nations Environment Programme established the Global 500 Roll of Honour in 1987 to recognize the environmental achievements of individuals and organizations around the world.The last Global 500 Roll of Honour awards were made in 2003...
.
In recognition of her groundbreaking research work, Nafisa Shah was admitted as a Chevening Scholar to the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at Oxford University. After completing her Masters in Social and Cultural Anthropology, Shah enrolled in a doctoral program in anthropology at Oxford University.
Upon returning to Pakistan in 2000 for her field research on Karo Kari (honour killings) in upper Sindh, Dr. Shah was drawn into active politics. She contested Khairpur’s local body elections and won. From then on, she has worked as a committed public representative.
After spending 10 years conducting research, Dr. Shah completed her doctoral thesis on "Honour Violence, Law and Power: A Case Study of Karo Kari in Upper Sindh" at the University of Oxford in 2010. According to news sources, the examiners praised the quality of her thesis and “said that the argument and the data mustered to support the theses were original, persuasive and lucidly and coherently presented” Her book on the topic is under publication.
Public Life
Dr. Nafisa Shah spent her childhood and teenage years actively participating in her fatherQaim Ali Shah
Syed Qaim Ali Shah is the current Chief Minister of Sindh, Sindh President of the Pakistan Peoples Party and an elected Member of Provincial Assembly from PS-29...
’s election campaigns along with her siblings. Later, she volunteered with former Prime Minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
, conducting research for speeches and dealing with policy matters.
Victory during the 2001 local elections for Khairpur’s Nazim (mayor-ship) enabled Dr. Shah to implement her vision for inclusive, community supported development. By launching a successful hepatitis vaccination drive and building several schools, hospitals, museums and recreation centers, Dr. Shah set the benchmark high for her contemporaries and successors. For her remarkable administrative work in an “exclusively male-dominated” playing field, Dr. Shah was nominated for a collective Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 – a rare accomplishment, and a significant first for a Pakistani woman.
Later, she was appointed the chair of Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Development
National Commission for Human Development
National Commission for Human Development is located in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan is the first country to establish a public-private partnership to mobilize global resources for Human Development following the Monterrey Conference for the International Financing of Development, March 2002...
(NCHD). Discharging her responsibilities, Dr. Shah has built schools, adult literacy centers, vocational training institutes and relief camps for people displaced by floods and internal warfare. Her organization functions as a vital bridge between public and private sectors, enabling Pakistan achieve Millennium Development Goals.
For her public work, decorations and awards have followed by the dozen. Most notably, she was identified as a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum in 2005 and included in Newsweek Pakistan’s “100 Women Who Shake Pakistan” in 2011.
Notable Awards
1. 100 Women Who Shake Pakistan,” Newsweek Pakistan, 20112. Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum, 2005
3. Nobel Peace Prize Nomination, 2005
4. Global Roll of Honor, United Nations, 1993 http://www.global500.org/ViewLaureate.asp?ID=183
5. Best Article, All Pakistan Newspaper Society, 1993 2/
Guest Lectures
1. Chief Guest at International Womens Day Celebration, Aurat Foundation2. Chief guest at First Womens Bank corporate documentary launch, 2010
3. Chief guest at Asia South Pacific Association for Basic Adult Education (ASPBAE) and BUNYAD Foundation's “Gender Equality in Education” report launch, 2011
4. Chief guest at Debate Contest for Allama Iqbal Shield, 2011she is also the daughter of syed Qaim Ali Shah the chief Minister of Sindh.
5. Chief guest at "Women in Leadership and Management in Higher Education”, organized by National University of Science and Technology (NUST)T) in collaboration with Fatima Jinnah Women University
Fatima Jinnah Women University
Fatima Jinnah Women University was established in 1998 at Old Presidency in Rawalpindi. It is situated on mall road, Rawalpindi. It is the first female university in Pakistan. A sub-campus of FJWU is being established at Sialkot. The university is ranked at number 18 in general category of HEC...
(FJWU) and Association of Commonwealth Universities
Association of Commonwealth Universities
The Association of Commonwealth Universities represents over 480 universities from Commonwealth countries.- History :In 1912, the University of London took the initiative to assemble 53 representatives of universities in London to hold a Congress of Universities of the Empire...
(ACU).
6. Chief guest at a workshop on conserving Sindh’s Cultural Heritage organized by Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai University in collaboration with the Endowment Fund Trust, Unesco, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad and the Khairpur district government, 2010.
7. Chief guest at Advanced Diploma Graduation Ceremony, Aga Khan University, 2010
8. Chief guest at Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SOGP) biennial conference, 2009
Publications
1. Shah, Nafisa. 2010. Honour Violence, Law and Power: A Study of Karo Kari in Upper Sindh. Oxford University Press2. Shah, Nafisa. 2009. “Recruiting Women in Community Oriented Policing” in The News. Print
3. Shah, Nafisa. 2008. “The Politics of being Asif Zardari” in The News. Print.
4. Shah, Nafisa. 2008. A Tribute to Benazir Bhutto. Online
5. Shah, Nafisa. 2007. 'Making of Crime, Custom and Culture: The Case of Karo Kari Killings of Upper Sindh' in Scratching the Surface: Democracy, Traditions and Gender. Heinrich Böll Foundation Lahore:2007. Print.
6. Shah, Nafisa. 2006. 'Commercial Marriages of Girls' in The News. Print: Islamabad
7. Shah, Nafisa. April 1998. A story in black: Karo Kari Killings in upper Sindh", Reuters Foundation
8. Shah, Nafisa. 1998. Blood, tears and lives to live: Women in the cross-fire, a study for Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Book. 100-409-076
9. Shah, Nafisa. 2003. 'Role of the Community in Honour Killings in Sindh' from Engendering the Nation-State. Lahore: Simorgh Publications.
10. Shah, Nafisa. 1998. “War Against Women” in Newsline. Print.
11. Shah, Nafisa. 1998. `Faislo: The Informal Settlement System and Crimes Against Women in Sindh’ in Shaping Women’s Lives: Laws, Practices and Strategies in Pakistan, Farida Shaheed, Sohail. Warraich, Cassandra Balchin, Aisha Gazdar (eds), Lahore: Shirkat Gah
12. Shah, Nafisa. 1994. 'The Circles of Freedom of Women' in Locating the self: perspectives on women. APSR Publications. Print
13. Shah, Nafisa. January 1993. 'Of Female Bondage' in Newsline. Print. Karachi:p.44
14. Shah, Nafisa.1992. 'Media Coverage of Environmental Problems in Pakistan' at Seminar-Workshop on Environmental Policies and Media Reporting." Singapore: 27-31 January 1992.
External Links
- http://pakistanherald.com/Profile/Nafisa-Shah-396
- http://www.lead.org/member/403
- http://www.pakistanileaders.com.pk/profile/Nafisa_Shah
- http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/04/nafisa-shah-gets-phd-from-oxford.html
- http://cybervision.com.pk/na/en/profile.php?uid=336
- http://www.nchd.org.pk/ws/
- http://www.wpcp.org.pk/wpcp/Home.aspx
- http://www.dailyfpost.com/women/wom-29/womenachiver29.htm
- http://www.global500.org/ViewLaureate.asp?ID=183
- http://www.aku.edu/university/Graduation2010/pak-diploma-speeches-nafisashah.shtml
- http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=102106
- http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/2011/07/nafisa-shah-annual-ministerial-review-national-voluntary-presentation-pakistan-high-level-segment-2011-ecosoc.html
- http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintWriterName.aspx?URL=Nafisa%20Shah